{"id":177,"date":"2026-09-29T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bricks.avokadodesign.com\/papier-cartes-affaires\/"},"modified":"2026-10-26T15:35:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T15:35:47","slug":"business-card-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/avokadodesign.com\/en\/business-card-paper\/","title":{"rendered":"How to choose paper for your business cards"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A business card changes hands in a few seconds, yet it&#8217;s often the first thing a customer actually touches from your business. The paper matters as much as the design: a card that&#8217;s too thin or poorly finished can feel cheap, even with a great logo. Here&#8217;s how to choose.<\/p>\n<h2>Thickness: the first criterion<\/h2>\n<p>In North America, card thickness is often measured in points (pt). As a guide:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>14 pt<\/strong>: the standard. Stiff, sturdy and right for most businesses.<\/li>\n<li><strong>16 pt<\/strong>: a little thicker, with a more premium feel the moment someone holds it.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Over 16 pt<\/strong> (laminated or extra-thick cards): to stand out, usually at a higher price.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Avoid thin, letter-weight paper: the card bends, gets damaged in a wallet and looks amateur.<\/p>\n<h2>Finish: matte, gloss or soft-touch<\/h2>\n<h3>Matte<\/h3>\n<p>Understated, elegant and glare-free. It&#8217;s the most versatile choice and reads well under any lighting.<\/p>\n<h3>Gloss<\/h3>\n<p>Makes bright colours and photos pop. Great for a colourful design, less so for a card you want to write on by hand.<\/p>\n<h3>Soft-touch (velvet)<\/h3>\n<p>A lamination with a soft, almost velvety feel. People notice it the moment they pick up the card. Perfect for a premium image.<\/p>\n<h3>Uncoated<\/h3>\n<p>A natural paper with a slightly textured feel. Easy to write on with a pen, handy for noting an appointment or a promo code.<\/p>\n<h2>Special finishes<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Foil stamping<\/strong>: a logo or text in metallic gold, silver or copper. Very classy, best used sparingly.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Spot UV<\/strong>: a glossy layer applied only to certain areas, such as your logo, for a raised effect you can feel.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rounded corners<\/strong>: a simple detail that softens the card and makes it last longer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>One well-chosen special finish often has more impact than three combined.<\/p>\n<h2>How to choose for your business<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Professionals (accountants, lawyers, brokers)<\/strong>: 16 pt, matte or soft-touch, clean design.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Creatives and retailers<\/strong>: gloss to bring out colours, or foil to sign your brand.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Restaurants and appointment-based services<\/strong>: an uncoated back to write the next appointment date.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tight budget<\/strong>: 14 pt matte, double-sided. Simple, sturdy and always professional.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Before you order<\/h2>\n<p>Check your file: bleed, safety margins and resolution (see our article <a href=\"https:\/\/avokadodesign.com\/en\/which-file-to-send-printer\/\">on print files<\/a>). Proofread every digit of your phone number and email address. And order a realistic quantity: better to reprint with up-to-date information than to keep 2,000 outdated cards.<\/p>\n<p>We design double-sided business cards for $175 (see the <a href=\"https:\/\/avokadodesign.com\/en\/services\/graphic-design\/\">Graphic design<\/a> page), then you order them on <a href=\"https:\/\/onewayprint.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Onewayprint<\/a>, with your choice of paper and finish and shipping across Canada.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thickness, matte or gloss, soft-touch, foil: how to choose the paper that makes the right impression from the first handshake.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized-en-us"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/avokadodesign.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/avokadodesign.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/avokadodesign.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avokadodesign.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avokadodesign.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=177"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/avokadodesign.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":178,"href":"https:\/\/avokadodesign.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177\/revisions\/178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/avokadodesign.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avokadodesign.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avokadodesign.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}